Heart Smart Series

Supporting Prevention as Treatment

The Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital Corrigan Minehan Heart Center provides classes on strategies to reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease and cardiac events (heart attack). Classes are available to patients as part of their program participation.

Class Topics

Managing Stress I and IILearn about stress and its healthy opposite - the relaxation response. Identify your stressors and develop an awareness of how you react to them. Discuss methods of coping with stress and learn some basic management skills. Participants are encouraged to follow-up with at least one relaxation class.

Relaxation

Exercise and Your HeartDiscuss the essential features of a cardiovascular exercise program including benefits, components, preparation, precautions and monitoring progress.

Coronary Artery Disease and Secondary PreventionLearn about the problem of coronary arteriosclerosis and its manifestations: heart attack and angina. Discuss risk factors that contribute to coronary artery disease and what you can do to change them, lowering your risk of future cardiac events.

Symptom RecognitionLearn to recognize the symptoms of angina and what to do about them. We review proper use of nitroglycerin and how to distinguish between angina and heart attack symptoms.

Cardiac MedicationsDiscuss commonly prescribed cardiac medications and the role they play in lowering risk of future cardiac events.